Page 6 of Those That Defy the Realm

He is exactly my type of male. Strong but not absolutely ripped. Intentional in his gestures and movements, and convicted in his opinions but, I’m guessing, not opposed to taking orders.

And as much as I don’t want any of my family catching on to my very quick interest in our visitor—for they’re a meddling bunch—I do keep half an ear on every sentence Henry says. Sadly, the conversation doesn’t give me any hints as to what his sexual preference is. Not that I was expecting it to, but a guy can dream.

After the food has been demolished and the dirty dishes have been cleared away, I get an opportunity to do some fishing.

“Can I go first?” My youngest brother Rawson practically jumps on Ty as we offer the vampires their meal; us.

“Ever been bitten by a vampire?” Ty asks, chuckling.

“No, but Ash says you can get high from it, like an adrenaline rush. I want to feel it,” Rawson replies. I wince a little as my youngest brother rats me out, I’d told him that a few years ago when he was doing a school project on the vampire species.

Dad shoots me a look with pursed lips before turning away from where he’d been helping dry the dishes to correct Rawson.

“I’ll bite you, but I think Rory should go first.” After Ty informed us over dinner of how recently Aurora had been turned and how, much to our complete shock, this doesn’t come as a surprise. A new vampire’s control is generally pretty good, but if hungry, the scent of blood can make them slip up and slit some veins open before they realise it.

“Here, Aurora can have mine,” I call over, pushing my sleeve up as I walk over.

Rory is about to take my wrist to her lips, when I catch Ty’s burning gaze. I’m speaking before I really think it through, “Maybe I’m Henry’s dinner instead.”

When I offer up one of my mated brothers for Rory to drink from, Ty’s eyes immediately soften. Yeah, he wants this female and was not happy about a single male like me being her food source. Blood bonds don’t form without intention amongst the vampires, but I’m guessing logic doesn’t really play a part when one feels possessive like Ty clearly is.

Having heard what I’d said, Henry comes closer and my words sink in. This hot specimen is about to put his lips to my skin. Granted, for him it’s literally his sustenance, but my stomach flutters all the same.

“Er… wrist okay?” I stammer like some pubescent teen as I awkwardly hold out my hand. Fuck, he’s going to feel how my pulse has started hammering in my veins.

“Thank you, it’s been a while since I’ve drunk any fresh blood.” Henry keeps eye contact as his long, warm fingers wrap around the back of my hand to guide my arm upwards.

“Not a problem, it’s been a while for me too.” My voice comes out far more breathier than I would like.

Henry cocks a brow.

“I mean, I gave blood to a couple of vampires during the war. I’d not done it a lot as I was only young but there were a few that needed it and only so many of us to go around.” My parents had both been livid because decent vampires only drank from adults but the ones I’d helped were injured. They hadn’t taken more from me than I could give but still, I’d been severely told off for offering up my wrists.

A smile breaks out over Henry’s lips, and I catch a peek at his deadly looking fangs. It does nothing to quell the tiny crush already developing in my chest over this guy. It gives him a dangerous edge to his slightly nerdy persona.

“Deep breath,” Henry says, his thumb brushing my pulse point. “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, your heart rate is taking off.”

I’m officially embarrassed.

Pulling myself together, I tamper down the lust coursing through my veins. “Sorry, I’m fine. Please, go ahead.”

My voice must come out strong because Henry nods and doesn’t ask again before sinking his sharp canines into my wrist.

The feeling is not unpleasant and physically doesn’t hurt beyond a sharp scratch. My wolf rears up to the surface, however, feeling a little threatened.

Then Henry looks up at me through thick dark lashes with those damn distracting eyes, and my wolf practically preens. Images of Henry looking up at me like this, but on his knees, and sucking on something other than my wrist flood my brain, liquid heat pooling low in my gut.

Fuck.

Henry sucks one more mouthful before caressing the holes in my skin with the flat of his tongue. I know he’s using his saliva to seal the wound, but it hits like an electric current, zapping up my arm and straight to my dick.

Thankfully, feed time is over and I can pull back, ending whatever the fuck just happened by breaking our connection.

Am I that touch starved that a vampire feeding on me turns me on? Or is this some hidden kink I had no idea about? Is that even a thing? Is it offensive that I find their method for survival so freaking hot?

It has been a while since I got laid. With such a small town the options are rather limited, and it’s a challenge if you want to keep anything on the down low. I’ve had a handful of hook-ups, there’s a couple of males in the town with whom I’ve had a regular casual thing with. The females I’ve had to be even pickier about. We’re generally a laid back lot but there are a few parents in the pack that would love to mate their daughters off to the offspring of the reigning alphas. I’ve never had a serious relationship.

“Thank you,” Henry says, licking his lower lip as if to savour the lingering taste of me there.